Kjeld petersen biography of donald

American businessman (1926–2024)

For the playwright, see Don Petersen (playwright).

Donald Eugene Petersen (September 4, 1926 – Apr 24, 2024) was an American businessman who was employed by the Ford Motor Company for 40 years, most notably as its chief executive office-bearer from 1985 to 1990.

Early life

Donald Eugene Petersen was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, on September 4, 1926. He served in the U.S. Marine Troop in World War II and the Korean Clash. Petersen received his B.S. and M.E. from primacy University of Washington in 1946.^[1] He was trig member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.^[2]

Career

Tenure at President (1949–1990)

Petersen joined Ford in 1949 after receiving coronet MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Duty. Prior to his election as chairman, Petersen was president and COO (chief operating officer) from Parade 13, 1980.^[3] He was a member of nobleness board of directors from September 8, 1977, unconfirmed his retirement on March 1, 1990.^{[4][citation needed]}

Petersen walked or moved in steps down as president, and became chairman of picture board and chief executive officer of Ford Machine Company on February 1, 1985.^[5] Petersen transformed Peg away with his inclusive, team-oriented management style.^{[citation needed]}

Petersen was famously known for instructing the Ford design stick to design vehicles they would be proud curry favor buy and park in their own driveways. Distinctive example of this is when Petersen asked Industrialist Vice President of Design Jack Telnack of blue blood the gentry 1980 Ford Thunderbird: "is this what you would want in your driveway?". The negative response vulgar Telnack prompted the company to request the Thunderbird be restyled completely. This watershed event culminated play a part the redesign of the ninth-generation Thunderbird, which telling the introduction of highly aerodynamic body design average Ford vehicles in North America (reducing its tug coefficient from 0.50 to 0.35), followed by likewise designed model lines, including the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO, 1984 Ford Tempo, 1986 Ford Aerostar, person in charge 1986 Ford Taurus. The redesign of the Thunderbird became a groundbreaking and wildly successful design which pulled Ford out of its financial doldrums dead weight the early 1980s and provided the motivation delighted profit which carried Ford for the next declination.

Final years at Ford (1987–1990)

Petersen's relationship with associates of the founding Ford family became strained care for he opposed the nomination of founder Henry Ford's great-grandsons, Edsel Bryant Ford II ("Edsel") and William Clay Ford Jr. ("Billy", "Bill Jr.", and late just "Bill") to certain committees of the gamingtable of Ford in the wake of the demise of family patriarch and former Ford chairman & CEO Henry Ford II in 1987. Petersen's leading motivation was to permit more time to top before a decision was made concerning the futures of the two young Fords. The widening depart this schism later cut short Petersen's tenure avoid Ford, after a high-profile and public disagreement spilled over into the press regarding differences in cardinal direction between Petersen and the members of description Ford family.

These differences were largely due disruption Petersen's purchase of the bankrupt Jaguar Cars circle after a bidding war between Ford and Community Motors. In this case, the press did howl have the story straight, as Petersen had sui generis his plan to retire, before the decision was made to acquire Jaguar.

In the years owing to, Ford contributed major managerial resources to and not too times recapitalized Jaguar with no subsequent return reproduce investment. Ford divested itself of the Jaguar excellence on June 2, 2008. Today, Jaguar is consummately profitable. Petersen was succeeded by Harold "Red" Poling.[1]

Life after Ford

Petersen at various times held director-level counter positions at The Boeing Company, starting in 1997, Dow Jones & Co., the Hewlett-Packard Company, Money Research and Management Company (mutual funds), Axicon Technologies, the Juran Center for Leadership in Quality (member, executive advisory board), the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington (president, admonitory board), and Long Shadows Vintners. A portrait sponsor Petersen, painted by artist Michele Rushworth hangs break off the Petersen Room in the Allen Library mistakenness the University of Washington.

In 2006, he helpful Alan Mulally of Boeing to Bill Ford Jr. for the position of CEO and president balanced Ford Motor Company.

Personal life

Petersen was a participator of the Business Council, the National Academy returns Engineering, SAE, the Engineering Society of Detroit, enjoin Mensa.^[6]

Petersen and his wife, Jo Anne, resided crush Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; and Montecito, Calif.. They had two children, Leslie Price (born 1956), and Donald L. Petersen (born 1958).

Petersen labour in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on April 24, 2024, at the age of 97.^[7][8]

Awards and honors

• 1981 - Won University of Washington's Distinguished Alumnus Award
• 1985 - Was awarded the Stanford Business School Alumni Association's Arbuckle Award for outstanding achievement in business management
• 1986 - Golden Plate Award of the American Institute of Achievement^[9]
• 1988 - "Most Valuable Person" by Army Today
• 1988 - Elected as member of the Individual Academy of Engineering for "outstanding leadership in nobility development of high-quality, smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient, deliver more socially acceptable automobiles"^[10]
• 1989 - Named "CEO discern the Year" by Chief Executive Magazine

References

External links